From QB to coach: Sacca happy to be at the helm

Sacca happy to be at the helm

Tony Sacca starred at Penn State (left) and now coaches (above) at Burlington City High School.

Tony Sacca was dressing in the visitors' locker room below old Veterans Stadium after a game against the Eagles in 1993, his second season in the NFL.

I asked him, "How are you doing?"

Sacca smiled. Although he hadn't played that day for the Arizona Cardinals, the former backup quarterback still managed a smile.

"I'm doing great," said Sacca, looking tan. "I'm living in Arizona and getting paid to play football."

Sacca was one of the best all-around athletes to come out of South Jersey in the last 25 years. He also was as tough a competitor as I've seen in the last quarter century.

But, Sacca never got too high with his success as a three-sport star at Delran High School and a four-year starting quarterback at Penn State. He also never got too low, although the lows were few and far between.

He always showed his level-headed ability off the field as often as a strong right arm on it. He always seemed content after games, knowing he did the best he could. He had the ideal demeanor to be a coach.

The smile was there again this week.

"I really enjoy the teaching, and coaching in high school is the best thing in the world," Sacca said.

Indeed, once on top of the world playing football in the NFL, Sacca is now as content as could be with life as head coach of the Burlington City High School football team. He isn't a former pro guy who thinks he should be coaching in the NFL. He wants to be coach at the school off Route 130.

"The kids I have now weren't even born then, so it doesn't affect them at all," Sacca said when asked if he thought his players felt pressure being coached by a former NFL player.

Sacca led Delran to the state championship in football in 1987 and to the state finals in basketball and baseball the next year.

Sacca then played at Penn State - he said he was "shocked like everyone else" about the recent troubles in Happy Valley - until 1991. Then he was drafted by Arizona and played with the Cardinals for two years.

After the NFL, he hung on to play for Barcelona of the World Football League in the spring of 1995 and 1996. But by then, he already started coaching football at Delran in the fall from 1994-96. Then, he joined Bill Manlove at LaSalle, coaching from 1997-99.

Sacca then went into business, owning the Pour House, a bar in Pennsauken, for nine years before selling. He also was an assistant coach at Pennsauken for Reggie Lawrence from 2003-06.

He then got into teaching, just like his parents, at Willingboro High School. He also was an assistant football coach under Lawrence the last three years.

Sacca, 42, who lives in Delran, smiles widely when talking proudly about his 5-year-old son, Anthony, who is playing youth football in the township where he once starred.

Sacca's brothers, John and Ralph, and sister Tricia, head women's basketball coach at Quinnipiac College, also were outstanding athletes. They went on to play in college, arguably making the Saccas not only the first family of Delran sports, but also one of the most notable in South Jersey history.

"It is fun to go," Sacca said about seeing his son's games.

Yeah, Sacca is having fun these days ... just like he did as a backup quarterback in Arizona.

After winning his first game as head coach over Riverside two weeks ago, there were more smiles from Sacca. But, the Blue Devils lost last week to Robbinsville.

"I always wanted to build a program," he said, "to build it step by step."

Delran was a Group 2 school when Sacca played, so he understands the challenges of competing with small numbers (about 42 players) in Group 1 now.

"You sort of know the territory," said Sacca, who starts four sophomores and seven juniors. "The school and the town have been unbelievably supportive."

Hopefully, school administrators and parents will give Sacca enough time to turn around the program. Just because he was a great player and has a long pedigree of coaching, it doesn't mean Sacca can flip a struggling program overnight. Burlington City was 1-9 last season.

Don't be fooled by his easy smile and pleasant personality, he will take some lumps energizing the program. Sacca is as competitive as coaches come. He just doesn't promote his passion like so many others. He doesn't get too high or low. Hopefully, his players learn this from him.

Fortunately for Burlington City, Sacca is smiling like he did when he stood on top of the football world two decades ago as an NFL player in the locker room at Veterans Stadium. He is really happy to be where he is now.

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From QB to coach: Sacca happy to be at the helm

Tony Sacca was dressing in the visitors' locker room below old Veterans Stadium after a game against the Eagles in 1993, his second season in the NFL. I asked him, 'How are you doing?' Sacca smiled.